Chimney cooler design for rugged maximum free convection heat transfer with minimum footprint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12092399-B2
Application number	US-202016947001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2020
Priority date	Jul 14, 2020
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus includes a chimney cooler having a housing. The housing includes a base and sidewalls. The base is configured to support one or more heat-generating components. The sidewalls extend from the base, and each sidewall includes multiple channels. Each channel defines a serpentine flow path configured to receive a fluid coolant. The sidewalls may be lofted away from the heat-generating component(s) as the sidewalls extend from the base. An inlet for each channel may be contoured to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant into the serpentine flow path. An outlet for each channel may be contoured to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant exiting the serpentine flow path. Channels at and adjacent to primary objective surfaces of the housing may share a common inlet. The channels at the primary objective surfaces of the housing may have larger outlets relative to the channels adjacent to the primary objective surfaces of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a chimney cooler comprising a housing, wherein the housing comprises:
a base with a surface configured to support one or more heat-generating components; and
sidewalls extending from a perimeter of the surface of the base configured to support the one or more heat-generating components and lofted away from a center of the base in a direction along a plane of the surface of the base as the sidewalls extend from the base, each sidewall including multiple channels, wherein each channel defines a serpentine flow path that extends through an interior of an associated one of the sidewalls from an inlet formed on a first surface of the associated sidewall adjacent to the base to an outlet formed on a second surface of the associated sidewall opposite the base, and wherein each channel is configured to receive a fluid coolant in the direction along the plane of the surface of the base and output the fluid coolant in a direction away from a plane perpendicular to the base at the center of the base.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inlet for each channel is contoured to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant into the serpentine flow path defined by the channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outlet for each channel is contoured to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant exiting the serpentine flow path defined by the channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein channels at and adjacent to primary objective surfaces of the housing share a common inlet.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the channels at the primary objective surfaces of the housing have larger outlets relative to the channels adjacent to the primary objective surfaces of the housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a monolithic structure.

7. A system comprising:
one or more heat-generating components; and
a chimney cooler comprising a housing, wherein the housing comprises:
a base with a surface configured to support the one or more heat-generating components; and
sidewalls extending from a perimeter of the surface of the base configured to support the one or more heat-generating components and lofted away from a center of the base in a direction along a plane of the surface of the base as the sidewalls extend from the base, each sidewall including multiple channels, wherein each channel defines a serpentine flow path that extends through an interior of an associated one of the sidewalls from an inlet formed on a first surface of the associated sidewall adjacent to the base to an outlet formed on a second surface of the associated sidewall opposite the base, and wherein each channel is configured to receive a fluid coolant in the direction along the plane of the surface of the base and output the fluid coolant in a direction away from a plane perpendicular to the base at the center of the base;

wherein the inlet for each channel is contoured to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant into the serpentine flow path defined by the channel.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the sidewalls are lofted away from the one or more heat-generating components as the sidewalls extend from the base.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the outlet for each channel is contoured to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant exiting the serpentine flow path defined by the channel.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein channels at and adjacent to primary objective surfaces of the housing share a common inlet.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the channels at the primary objective surfaces of the housing have larger outlets relative to the channels adjacent to the primary objective surfaces of the housing.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises a monolithic structure.

13. A method comprising:
forming a base of a housing for a chimney cooler, the base having a surface configured to support one or more heat-generating components; and
forming multiple channels in sidewalls of the housing extending from a perimeter of the surface of the base configured to support the one or more heat-generating components and lofted away from a center of the base in a direction along a plane of the surface of the base as the sidewalls extend from the base, each channel defining a serpentine flow path that extends through an interior of an associated one of the sidewalls from an inlet formed on a first surface of the associated sidewall adjacent to the base to an outlet formed on a second surface of the associated sidewall opposite the base, and wherein each channel is configured to receive a fluid coolant in the direction along the plane of the surface of the base and output the fluid coolant in a direction away from a plane perpendicular to the base at the center of the base; and
contouring the outlet for each channel to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant exiting the serpentine flow path defined by the channel.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sidewalls are lofted away from the one or more heat-generating components as the sidewalls extend from the base.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
contouring the inlet for each channel to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant into the serpentine flow path defined by the channel.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
channels at and adjacent to primary objective surfaces of the housing share a common inlet; and
the channels at the primary objective surfaces of the housing have larger outlets relative to the channels adjacent to the primary objective surfaces of the housing.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the housing comprises a monolithic structure.

18. An apparatus comprising:
a chimney cooler comprising a housing, wherein the housing comprises:
a base with a surface configured to support one or more heat-generating components; and
sidewalls extending from a perimeter of the surface of the base configured to support the one or more heat-generating components and lofted away from a center of the base in a direction along a plane of the surface of the base as the sidewalls extend from the base, each sidewall including multiple channels, wherein each channel defines a serpentine flow path that extends through an interior of an associated one of the sidewalls from an inlet formed on a first surface of the associated sidewall adjacent to the base to an outlet formed on a second surface of the associated sidewall opposite the base, and wherein each channel is configured to receive a fluid coolant in the direction along the plane of the surface of the base and output the fluid coolant in a direction away from a plane perpendicular to the base at the center of the base;

wherein the outlet for each channel is contoured to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant exiting the serpentine flow path defined by the channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the housing comprises a monolithic structure.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the inlet for each channel is contoured to promote inertial flow of the fluid coolant into the serpentine flow path defined by the channel.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Truxel Andrew
• Vasquez David A
• Perry Jarrett M
• Tu Mark V
• Overly Emma M

Classifications

• H10W40/43

  by flowing gases, e.g. forced air cooling · CPC title

• H10W40/22

  characterised by their shape, e.g. having conical or cylindrical projections · CPC title

• H05K7/20445

  the coupling element being an additional piece, e.g. thermal standoff · CPC title

• H05K7/20009

  using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures (in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954) · CPC title

• F28F3/04

  the means being integral with the element · CPC title